Knitting device and method of knitting



Nov. 5, 1935. F MEMALD 2,020,191

KNITTING DEVICE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed May 27. 19s5- .IIQVENTOR 4 1:75 fitbuwald Ju A oRNYb,

Patented Nov. 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT-TOFFEE Application May 27,1935, Serial No. 23,173

20mm. (Cl. 66-4) My invention relates in particular to the type o'i' knitted thread described and claimed in my U. 5. Patent No. 2,006,275, or the subject matter,

of whichthe present invention is a particular modification. The particular advantages of knitted strands such ,as, for instance, textile threads as compared with twisted strands, are referred to in detail in my aforesaid patent. In said patent I have described threads or strands knitted with a plurality of-needles and threads and themanner of producing such threads. The present invention refers in particular to the knitting of at least two filaments with only one needle,

whereby a very slender knitted yarn or strand can be produced which lends itself advanta geously to the production of fabrics of any kind which heretofore were made of spun, twisted, or laid threads. Especially it is possible by the arrangement according to the present invention to produce many diilerent effects with or without color in the appearance of the knitted yarn which are either impossible or difiicult and expensive to produce with, yarns which are twisted.

My invention is illustrated in the accompany Ing drawing, in which Figure 1 represents an enlarged view of one form 01 knitted yarn according to the invention. Figure 2 represents diagrammatically a knitting head by which the yarn shown in Figure 1 so is produced. I

Figure 3 represents, greatly enlarged, the looping of the filaments by the needle in order to produce the yarn shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4-represents a two filament yarn) knitted I according to the invention having the loops or" both filaments of substantially equal length;

Figure 4a represents two-filament yarn in which the loops of one-filament are relatively long and those of the other filament are drawn into a tight knot;

Figure4b represents two-filament yarn in which the loops of one filament are relatively long and those' of the other filament'are very short, but still open, and- Figure 5 represents a fabric which may be produced Iromthe'yarn according to the invention. Referring to-Figure l,'it will be noted that the yarn is composed otthe two filaments I and 2 which-are shaded light and dark, respectively. It a will further be noted that the loops of the two filaments alternately. follow one another. Where more than two filaments are used, they alternate in rotation. For instance, it there should be four filaments usedfthey would alternate 111 1'0:

Referring more particularly to the yarn formed with two filaments as. shown in Figure 1, it will be noted further that-the float 3 which connects two successive loopsof the light-shaded filament,

passes through the intervening loop of the dark- 5' shaded filament which connects the two successive loops of the first-mentioned filament. .By this manner of interlocked knitting, a yarn is produced which isravel-resisting.

Describing now the manner in which such a loyarn may be produced with one needle, I refer to Figure 2 which shows the nedlecylinderl mounted within the cam cylinder 5 which is pro- I vided with a cam groove Ii in' which the foot 1 of the needle 8 is'guided and by which the needle 15 is longitudinally actuated.

In the present form of Figure 2, it is assumed that only two filaments are being knitted with one needle. These two filaments 'I and 2 are guided to the needle 8 by means of the thread formed, the needle has just passed through the new loop 2a formed with the thread 2 and has just booked the filament I to form a new loop and to pull it through the previously formed loop .laof filament 2. The interlocking of the loops 0 occurs thereby as follows: Assuming that the needle 8 has just 'fonnedloop ,Za, when in a posi-' tion opposite to thatshown in Figs. 2 and 3, and that it has come around into the position shown in these 'figures withloop 2a still hanging on 35' the needle shank preparatory toits being cast off. Then it will be noted that filament I extends from .the previously formed loop Ia as a float across 7 loop 2a and in a position in which it can be engaged by the needle as shown in these figures. 40 when the needle 8 in'Flgs. 2 and 3 nowdescends to pull filament I through loop 2a the'fioatof the loop formed'by this filament will lay itself across loop 2a when the latter is cast off. It is assumed in the illustrations Figs. 2 and 3 that 45 the needle 8 travels away from the observer. It will iurther be noted from Figure 2 that there are two high points in the. cam groove Ii,- namely, one at the point where the foot I of the needle is shown and the other (not shown) at 50 the' diametrically opposite side of the cam cylinder 5. The two high points of the cam'groove correspond'with the number of. filaments which 'are knitted.- It more than two filaments are to l be knitted withione needle, more high points must 56 be used in the cam. In other words, there'must beasmanyhighpointsinthecamasthereare filaments to be knitted together.

This manner of knitting yarn lends itself to a great variety of forms made with the same kind of stitch as, for instance, shown in Figures 1 and 2. As is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 4, the loops ofboth filaments may be formed of equal length or approximately so, such as l-I, l2. In the form shown in Figure 4a., one thread l maybe formed with a long loop while the other thread ll may be tightly knotted, i. e., its loop may be drawn tight together. This form produces the so-called knob yarn Figure 4b shows a form in which one loop I! is left long and with the two shanks close together, while the other loop I3 is short and left open so that the yarn has the appearance of pearls, as it were, threaded onto a string. This yarn, so far as I am aware, is known in the industry as -boucle yarn, but has heretofore been produced by twisting in severaldifferent ways.

In Figure I have illustrated a fabric which may be produced by any of the yarns described herein. It should be particularly noted with reference to. boucle and similar yarns, that their production by twisting requires a large number of operationswhich must be successively performed.

According to the manner of knitting which I have described herein, the yarn is produced by one single knitting operation and the different character of the yarn, such as is shown for instance diagrammatically in Figures 4, 4a., and

1 4b, is produced merely by properly regulating the softness of the yarn can be dimensioned in any filaments.

desired manner. And lastly, the cost of productlon of .this type of fancy yarn is considerably reduced by my invention on account of the high output capacity of a knitting head compared with twisting or braiding devices. For instance, I have 5 produced, per knitting 'head, yarns of the type illustrated in the present application-at the rate of from-400 to 4000 yards per hour, depending upon the length of the loops formed.

It is understood that by the term "filament" as used hereinabove and in the annexed claims, I mean an elongated element composed of one or more material fibres assembled as may be desired, in the same sense in which. the term' thread is used in my aforementioned Patent No. 2,006,275.

I claim:-- v

1. Method of producing an interlocked-knitted yarn from a plurality of filaments, consisting in rotating a single knitting needle transversely to so its axis in a fixed circular path, supplying the filaments individually at given points into the path of said needle, and longitudinally reciprocating said needle at suitable intervals during each rotation a number of times equal to the number of filaments supplied, to permit looping engagement of the needle successively with each of said filaments whereby yarn of successive, interlocked-knitted loops is formed from said 2. A device for producing an interlockedknitted yarn from a plurality of filaments by a single knitting needle, comprising a needle cylinder, a single knittingneedle longitudinally guided in said cylinder to permit longitudinal reciprocation therein, a cam ring concentrically disposed with respect to said cylinder and engaging said needle for longitudinally operating it to move its knitting hook beyond and below the cylinder rim when the cylinder rotates, and means for supplying the several filaments at given points of the cylinder rim into the path of the needle, said cam ring having a number of spaced cams equal, to the number of filaments supplied, to cause looping engagement of the needle s'ucces- 5 sively with each of said filaments to produce a yarn of successive, interlocked-knitted loops from said filaments.

FRANZ MEIWALD. 

